Isaiah - Verse By Verse

Isaiah - Day 68

versebyverse | August 05, 2008 18:21

Scripture:  Isaiah 3:15 (NIV):  " 'What do you mean by crushing my people and grinding the faces of the poor?' declares the LORD, the LORD Almighty."

Thought:  To me, very many aspects of our culture are oppressive to certain groups of people.

Question:  Have I experienced "crushing, grinding" oppression at the hands of another?

What an empty set of values to have all your goods provided by the sweat, tears and blood of the poor!  God's question is valid:  "What do you mean by crushing...and grinding..." the people?  It is a bit of a rhetorical question but what it reveals, in reality, is that these leaders love evil.  They have preferred becoming "elevated" in society by climbing onto the backs of the poor to lift themselves up.  To accomplish this, they oppress them and lord it over them.  

God is always concerned about "others."  Jesus died for "others."  Government leaders should live for the good of "others", as God ordained government to do, but here the values have been twisted:  the leaders expect "others" to exist to serve and elevate them.  This is akin to Lucifer's pride because he, similarly, desired elevation above all others--even God Almighty.

I can think of company executives who do this.  I can think of politicians who do this.  I can think of money lenders who do this.  I can think of employers who do this.  And I can even think of church officials who have done this.  These are the "elders" and "leaders" of our world (see yesterday's verse:  Isaiah 3:14).  But the heaviest question becomes:  do I do this, on any level, with any person?

Prayer:  Lord, purge out of me any wicked desire to rise above others, especially at their expense.  Help me to serve them instead, as Jesus would do.  Amen. 

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